Night Terror
by Black-Neko-Chan
Summary: "It was Ciel's screaming that woke him up."  Sebastian comforts Ciel after a nightmare.  Slightly dark.


Hello my pretties X3 So, in honor of today being Friday, my friend Lily-Finn178 and I have decided to both write/updated our pieces of fanfiction. So, while she's writing for a book series, I have written for Kuroshitsuji. Enjoy. And have a happy Friday XD

**Disclaimer:** Black-Neko-Chan does not own Kuroshitsuji. Nor does she own the song "Friday." That gem belongs to Rebecca Black.

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><p>It was Ciel's screaming that woke him up.<p>

Sebastian was a demon; as such, he did not actually engage in the activity humans called "sleep." What he'd been doing was… regenerating.

While his current master rated as one of, if not the most interesting master he could remember serving, that fact alone did not make his days any easier. While he thoroughly enjoyed the time spent in London, tracking down various scum for the Queen's sake, not every day could be as thrilling. Most were spent in the manor, tending to Ciel's whims, and the mistakes of his incompetent servants. Now, Sebastian was no lesser demon. He liked to think of himself as a noble among demons. Most, if lucky, merely possessed adequate feeling manners. He had his aesthetics. So, he would not complain about the duties he was assigned, and the responsibilities he bore, for it was not a butler's place to do so. And Sebastian was one _hell_ of a butler. What he did was this: every once in a while, on the nights where there were no egregious messes to take care of, or no guests to worry about, he would slip away into his room, climb atop the bed Ciel had bestowed him with, and slip into an almost comatose-like state.

He was still more than aware of the world around him, for a perfect butler must always be at his master's beck and call, but he did not move nor speak, did not even bother to keep up the illusion of breathing. He lay there, for all intents and purposes dead-like, and allowed himself to rejuvenate.

He was doing so when Ciel's screams brought him back to consciousness.

A bond between a human and a demon is a curious thing. It did not allow Sebastian to hear Ciel's thoughts, feel his emotions, or look into his dreams. What it did was connect their souls. Both were still two separate entities, with no access to the other's innermost musings, but they were connected all the same. This bond made it easier for Sebastian to track Ciel down, should he attempt to escape their contract, and to know when he was distressed. The moment he started to scream, Sebastian heard him loud and clear in his mind, though he knew in all actuality, the screaming Ciel did nowadays was no longer loud enough to wake the other servants.

He gave the boy two minutes before entering the room. It was routine. Once Sebastian had arrived at Ciel's room and determined that the boy was not in any real trouble, he took out his watch and waited. From the moment he reached that door, two minutes was all Ciel had to compose himself. He felt that he owed the boy that much.

What Ciel chose to do in those two minutes, Sebastian was not aware. He knew that his master did not cry. Ciel had not shed a single tear since the day their contract had been formed. Sebastian doubted that he ever would. Whatever the actions Ciel chose to partake in, by the time the two minutes were up, and Sebastian had entered the room, his master had slipped back on the mask of the cold, stoic and unfeeling Earl, though Sebastian could still hear his soul's screaming through their bond.

When Sebastian entered the room of his master on this particular night, Ciel was sitting on his bed with his knees pulled up to his chest, and his arms wrapped around himself. Two mismatched eyes glanced up at him, the only acknowledgement of Sebastian's presence in the room. Sebastian walked toward the bed and set the candelabra down beside it. Now it was time for the next part of their ritual. He purposefully climbed into the bed, leant against the pillows. When he was in position, Ciel finally uncurled himself, and crawled atop Sebastian's chest. Two slender arms wrapped around Sebastian's neck, and two slender legs wrapped around his torso. Ciel's face rested against his neck, sending hot puffs of air at a rate that was not yet normal. Sebastian's own arms held his master close to his body. And they remained there.

Ciel did not move, did not cry nor sob, did not for a second allow his mask to slip and show his weakness to Sebastian, though Sebastian could sense it clear as day. He lay there silently, unmoving. He did not talk about it, did not act like anything out of the ordinary had happened, though their very positions made obvious that something had. As a butler, it was very inappropriate to touch he master like this. And as a master, it was very improper to allow himself to be comforted by the help. Both knew this, but on nights like these, they allowed their positions and titles to be temporarily cast aside. Sebastian did not see it as a weakness that Ciel wanted to be held like this, only a reaction any terrified child would have. And Ciel knew that he needed this, so he did not attempt to act as if he did not.

Sebastian did not know what nightmare had awoken Ciel from his slumber this night. He could guess, but he was never told if he was correct. In the mornings, Ciel would always act as if nothing had ever happened. But at night, he clung close to Sebastian's body, as if his palpable presence was the only thing tethering him to his sanity. Sebastian allowed it to occur. He was a perfect butler, and if his master desired this, then it would happen.

Sebastian held tightly to Ciel's bunched up body, giving whatever comfort a creature like him could. Ciel clung just as tightly, giving every bit as good as he got. They remained like this, wrapped in each other's arms until the sun began to shine through the partings of the heavy curtains, and Sebastian ended the ritual by stating that it was time for Ciel to start the day anew, as he always did. Once the words were spoken, titles and positions, responsibilities and duties, and all of those formalities came rushing back so fast that it gave the night a sort of surreal, technicolor quality that suggested the entire thing had been a hoax, or some elaborate performance given by skilled actors. Easy to appear like it had never happened.

Ciel slowly disengaged himself from Sebastian's body, then sat as the side of his bed, as he always did. Sebastian stood, smoothed any and all wrinkles he had attained during the night (effectively erasing all proof that they'd ever been anything more than master and butler, predator and prey), for a perfect butler must always look presentable for his master. He stood in front of Ciel and dressed him like normal, told him the day's activities, then headed into the kitchen to prepare a meal that would be eaten in Ciel's study.

The day would progress like normal. The servants would cause messes that Sebastian would be required to clean, and Ciel would sign paperwork and concentrate on his studies. The only difference was that Ciel would sign the paperwork on this day a bit slower, doze off during his classes, and retire for bed at a much earlier time than usual. The nights that he spent clinging to his butler and forcing himself awake were both physically and mentally exhausting for the child, and when he finally did fall asleep that day, it would be a deep dreamless one. That was the day for Ciel. For Sebastian, he was not exhausted. He did not perform his duties any less than perfectly, and he did not take out any time to rest. On these days, Sebastian felt more energized than normal.

Sebastian was a smart demon; he knew that there were more ways to feed than just one. Every demon grew tired while serving a master, especially if they had not fed for a long time. Sebastian was one hell of a butler, but no exception to this. Every day spent serving Ciel drained him more and more, until it reached a point where he knew that something needed to be done. So he sent Ciel a dream.

He did not do it often. Only on nights where there were no letters from the Queen, or business partners to deal with. On these nights, he would slip into his room, lay down on his bed, and send Ciel a dream through their contract. All it took was a thought, or a faint scent of something familiar. Just as the dream started, Sebastian would "sleep" and replenish. And when the screaming began, Sebastian found himself in top shape once more, with the faint taste of something almost spicy in his mouth.

After that, he gave Ciel two minutes to compose himself. Once those two minutes had passed, he would enter the room and hold the boy close to his body. He knew that he did not need to do this, be he felt as if he owed it to him.

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><p>That's it, so I hoped you liked it, and please review! Also, sorry if you wanted something a bit... longer. It's sooooooo short! I usually try to give my things a bit more length, but I was unable to this time around XP Anyways, thanks for reading and reviewing!<p> 


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